By Tarek Amara
TUNIS (Reuters) -Jailed Tunisian opposition chief Rached Ghannouchi, 84, started a starvation strike, becoming a member of two distinguished politicians who’re protesting what they name “unjust imprisonment,” attorneys stated on Saturday, marking the most recent escalation in a standoff with President Kais Saied.
Many of the nation’s opposition leaders are in jail and a few events have accused Saied of turning Tunisia into an “open-air jail” whereas utilizing the judiciary to cement his authoritarian rule.
Ghannouchi follows opposition politician Jawhar Ben Mbarek who has been on a “wildcat” starvation strike since final week. And Republican Social gathering chief Issam Chebbi began a starvation strike on Friday, demanding his launch.
Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda celebration and a fierce critic of Saied, has been detained since 2023 and was sentenced to 37 years in jail throughout a number of instances, together with illicit international financing and conspiracy in opposition to the state. He has refused to seem in courtroom, saying he gained’t face judges who solely comply with Saied’s orders.
Attorneys, household, and rights teams say Ben Mbarek’s well being has sharply deteriorated, he’s refusing remedy and is vulnerable to dying.
The Tunisian Prisons Authority denied that the prisoners’ well being had deteriorated because of the starvation strikes, saying medical examinations confirmed circumstances have been “regular and steady,” with out giving extra particulars.
This 12 months, courts handed jail sentences starting from 5 to 66 years to opposition leaders together with Ben Mbarek and Chebbi on prices together with “conspiracy in opposition to state safety.” Human rights teams say these prosecutions focused political opponents.
Lawyer Dalila Ben Mbarek stated Jawhar knowledgeable her that he would quickly depart the jail “both free or useless.” His father stated Saied was accountable for any hurt that got here to his son, calling him a dictator.
The opposition says Saied’s sudden closure of the elected parliament in 2021 and his transfer to rule by decree was a coup.
Saied denied this, saying his actions have been essential to avoid wasting Tunisia from years of chaos; he has referred to as jailed opposition leaders criminals, traitors and terrorists.
(Reporting By Tarek Amara; Modifying by Thomas Derpinghaus)